'Friday Night Lights' instills skills in youth

GALESBURG — Galesburg High School football coach Tim Dougherty is entering his seventh season and he’s always hosted a youth football camp in the summer.

But in 2017, Dougherty, who holds a 26-32 overall mark while leading the Silver Streaks, pushed it back toward the beginning of the school year and he did so for a very simple reason. He wanted more kids to experience “Friday Night Lights,” a four-day camp of instruction intended for those in second through eighth grade.

“I’ve done it before but we always did it at the front end of the summer and now I’m doing it at the backend because JFL is getting ready to start and so is junior high (football),” Dougherty said Friday evening before the final day of camp. “I felt too early didn’t serve the coaches and the programs well enough and you have conflicts with other sports. I think having it later helps get those other kids. I don’t want to do something and you are getting a third of the kids.”

Dougherty had over 100 kids show up at C.C. Van Dyke Field this week for the camp, which wrapped up Friday night with a 7-on-7 championship tournament. Dougherty and his staff taught safe tackling techniques, speed training and skill instruction for all positions on offense and defense. There were also daily 7-on-7 passing league games.

“The turnout has been really good,” Dougherty said. “At the end of the camp, the kids are having fun and enjoying football. It’s a tough game as it is and you try to make it fun.

“For me, I am having as much fun as the first youth camp that I gave years ago. What breaks my heart is you have these opportunities for kids in Galesburg and anyone even thinking about playing football should be here but you have those kids who can’t get out here because they can't get a ride from mom or dad."

Jon Sibley III, a Lombard Middle School seventh-grader, is a running back and cornerback who attended “Friday Night Lights” sessions this week and the 12-year-old enjoyed being on the gridiron with his friends.

“It was competitive and fun at the same time. I got a lot of work in,” Sibley said. “The 7-on-7 was my favorite part.”

And what will Sibley apply from the camp?

“For running back, probably the speed cuts because they help you get around the defenders easily,” he said. “Cornerback, being able to read if it’s a run or a pass by watching the quarterback.”

Mikey Eiker, a Churchill Junior High School seventh-grader, plays running back and cornerback and hopes to play both ways once junior high football begins. The 12-year-old learned something at the camp that sounds pretty simple.

“Don’t drop passes when you are wide open and stick with your man,” Eiker said. “Don’t give up and try my best.”

GHS junior Kobe Ramirez plays running back and safety for Dougherty and served as a coach/mentor for “Friday Night Lights.”

The 16-year-old enjoyed his role for the camp but Ramirez is always having fun when he’s on a football field.

“It is fun watching them all play and have fun — just seeing them improve,” he said. “I think they just need to work on their all around football skills. They need to get better at their positions and figure out what they want to do.

“Just keep working hard and don’t let anyone stop you.”

And they should always have a good time while doing so.

“I just like to show them that no matter how hard the coaches try to make football seem as long as you have fun it’s not going to bother you,” Ramirez said.

“Have fun. It’s a fun game,” Dougherty said. “There is some difficulty to it but I want them to take away that they saw my players around them having fun.”

Those who attended the camp walked away knowing just that.

“Just have fun every time you are playing football,” Sibley said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a game or practice.”